Naseem Hamed

I want to be remembered as the man who changed the pay scale for featherweights, who put the sparkle back in boxing after Muhammad Ali left, the man who took risks with his ring entrance, the man who, before the fight, would do a front flip into the ring without even thinking about turning an ankle, and then knocking his man out. I mean out.

Getting beaten is sometimes a good thing. If you're a positive person, you can turn it around and make it into a good thing.

A revelation came to me at 16. All true princes must someday become kings.

That's what a true professional is - a true world champion, so to everybody out there listening, especially the fighters that want to fight me... they'll get knocked out, sparko.

I want the chance to show Barrera and the world that I am a true champion.

Yes, definitely, I've got so much belief in God, and I think that God's got so much belief in me.

Who do you know, who could come out on a flying carpet? P. Diddy standing at the bottom, come out like a concert, dancing, oozing confidence, and then get in and take somebody out? Come on, do you know anybody in the history of the sport that did what Prince Naseem did? I ain't trying to brag, but I was bloody good at it.

If it is written for me to lose, I'll lose with dignity and give credit.

I do think I retired too soon. I just felt at that particular time in 2002, after winning a fifth world title belt, why not be one of the smart ones in boxing and get out.

I remember when Muhammad Ali got beaten the first time. I remember when Lennox Lewis got beaten the first time, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson. All of those were legendary fighters, and they came back, and that's what made them different - what they did after they got beat.

I'm not selfish before a fight or afterwards, but for the time of the fight itself, I have to think totally of myself.

From the age of seven, I was destined to be a legend, to be the world's most popular fighter.